Written by ForexBrokers.com
Is XTB better than HFM? In our analysis of 23 international regulators across 62 of the best forex brokers, XTB is considered low-risk, with an overall Trust Score of 95 out of 99. HotForex is considered average-risk, with an overall Trust Score of 85 out of 99. Learn more about Trust Score.
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❯×| Overall Rating | XTB | HFM | |
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| Trust Score | 95 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | XTB Review | HFM Review |
| Regulation | XTB | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 95 | 85 | |
| Year Founded | 2002 | 2010 | |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes | No | |
| Bank | No | No | |
| Authorised in European Union | Yes | Yes | |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 1 | 1 | |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 3 | 3 | |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 1 | 1 |
| Tier-1 Licenses (High Trust) | XTB | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASIC Authorised (Australia) | No | No | |
| IIROC Authorised (Canada) | No | No | |
| SFC Authorised (Hong Kong) | No | No | |
| CBI Authorised (Ireland) | No | No | |
| FSA Authorised (Japan) | No | No | |
| MAS Authorised (Singapore) | No | No | |
| FINMA Authorised (Switzerland) | No | No | |
| FCA Authorised (U.K.) | Yes | Yes | |
| CFTC Registered (USA) | No | No | |
| FMA Authorised (New Zealand) | No | No |
| Tier-2 Licenses (Average Trust) | XTB | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CBRC Authorised (China) | No | No | |
| CySEC Authorised (Cyprus) | Yes | Yes | |
| SEBI Authorised (India) | No | No | |
| ISA Authorised (Israel) | No | No | |
| CBR Authorised (Russia) | No | No | |
| FSCA Authorised (South Africa) | Yes | Yes | |
| SEC Authorised (Thailand) | No | No | |
| DFSA / Central Bank Authorised (UAE) | Yes | Yes |
| Tier-3 Licenses (Low Trust) | XTB | HFM | |
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| SCB Authorised (Bahamas) | No | No | |
| FSC Authorised (Belize) | Yes | No | |
| CIMA Authorised (Cayman Islands) | No | No | |
| BMA Authorised (Bermuda) | No | No | |
| FSC Authorised (British Virgin Islands) | No | No | |
| FSC Authorised (Mauritius) | No | Yes | |
| VFSC Authorised (Vanuatu) | No | No |
| Investments | XTB | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Tradeable Symbols (Total) | 12000 | 3500 | |
| Forex Pairs (Total) | 57 | 47 | |
| U.S. Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD) | Yes | No | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Cryptocurrency (Physical) | No | No | |
| Cryptocurrency (CFD) | Yes | Yes | |
| Disclaimers | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). | Note: Crypto CFDs are not available to retail traders from any broker's U.K. entity, nor to U.K. residents (except to Professional clients). |
| Cost | XTB | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard | 1.07 | 1.2 | |
| All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active | 1.04 | 0.9 | |
| Active Trader or VIP Discounts | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Agency Broker | Yes | No | |
| Execution: Market Maker | Yes | Yes |
| Funding | XTB | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $5 | |
| PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | No | |
| Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes | |
| Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit) | Yes | Yes | |
| Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) | Yes | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | XTB | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Windows) | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Social Trading / Copy Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 4 (MT4) | Yes | Yes | |
| MetaTrader 5 (MT5) | No | Yes | |
| cTrader | No | No | |
| DupliTrade | No | No | |
| ZuluTrade | No | No | |
| Trading Platforms Gallery (click to expand) |
| Trading Tools | XTB | HFM | |
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| Virtual Trading (Demo) | Yes | Yes | |
| Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 8 | 7 | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total) | 39 | 15 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools (Total) | 32 | 30 | |
| Charting - Trade From Chart | Yes | Yes | |
| Charts can be saved | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Trading | XTB | HFM | |
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| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Alerts - Basic Fields | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlist | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist Syncing | No | No | |
| Mobile Charting - Indicators / Studies | 39 | 30 | |
| Mobile Charting - Draw Trendlines | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Charting - Drawings Autosave | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex Calendar | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Trading Gallery (click to expand) |
| Research | XTB | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Market Commentary | Yes | Yes | |
| Forex News (Top-Tier Sources) | Yes | Yes | |
| Autochartist | No | Yes | |
| Trading Central (Recognia) | No | No | |
| Social Sentiment - Currency Pairs | Yes | Yes | |
| Economic Calendar | Yes | Yes | |
| Research Gallery (click to expand) |
| Education | XTB | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Has Education - Forex or CFDs | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Client Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Beginner Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos - Advanced Trading Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Investor Dictionary (Glossary) | No | No | |
| Education Gallery (click to expand) |
| Major Forex Pairs | XTB | HFM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/JPY | Yes | Yes | |
| EUR/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CHF | Yes | Yes | |
| USD/CAD | Yes | Yes | |
| NZD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| AUD/USD | Yes | Yes | |
| Review | XTB Review | HFM Review |
| Overall | XTB | HFM | |
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| Commissions & Fees |
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| Offering of Investments |
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| Platform & Tools |
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| Education |
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| Trust Score | 95 | 85 | |
| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | XTB Review | HFM Review |
Compare
0 of 5Comparing forex brokers side by side is no easy task. For our 2023 annual forex broker review, we spent hundreds of hours assessing 62 forex and CFD brokerages to find the best forex broker. Let's compare XTB vs HFM.
Comparing the trading costs of forex and CFDs is not easy. Not every broker publishes average spreads data, and pricing structures vary. Based on our thorough annual assessment, XTB offers better pricing overall for traders.
At ForexBrokers.com, we track where each forex and CFD broker is regulated across over 23 international regulator databases. Here's our findings. Both XTB and HFM hold 1 global Tier-1 licenses. Both XTB and HFM hold 3 global Tier-2 licenses. In our analysis of 23 international regulators across 50 brokers, XTB earned a higher Trust Score than HFM.
To compare the trading platforms of both XTB and HFM, we tested each broker's trading tools, research capabilities, and mobile apps. For trading tools, XTB offers a better experience. With research, XTB offers superior market research. Finally, we found XTB to provide better mobile trading apps.
For forex and CFDs traders, copy trading and MetaTrader are both popular platform options. Both XTB and HFM offer MetaTrader 4 (MT4).XTB and HFM both offer copy trading.
XTB provides traders 57 currency pairs (e.g., EUR/USD) compared to HFM's 47 available pairs. Forex pairs aside, XTB offers traders access to 12000 CFDs while HFM has 3500 available CFDs, a difference of 8500.
XTB is a publicly traded company that is authorised by one tier-1 regulator (high trust), three tier-2 regulator (average trust), and one tier-3 regulator (low trust). XTB is authorised by the following tier-1 regulator: Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
HotForex is not publicly traded and does not operate a bank. HotForex is authorised by one tier-1 regulator (high trust), three tier-2 regulators (average trust), and one tier-3 regulator (low trust). HotForex is authorised by the following tier-1 regulator: Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
As a trusted multi-asset broker, XTB offers outstanding customer service, a wide variety of forex and CFDs, and an excellent overall trading experience. Its xStation 5 trading platform is well-designed and packed with innovative features, and XTB’s offers comprehensive educational content and market research.
Alongside its enhanced MetaTrader offering and quality research, HFM (HF Markets), previously known as HotForex, offers a proprietary copy trading platform, HFcopy, a proprietary HF mobile app, and a decent selection of over 1,000 CFDs and 47 forex pairs. Still, trading costs at HFM are slightly above the industry average.
Overall winner: XTB
Please note:
We review each broker’s overall global offering – a “Yes” checkmark in our Compare Tool does not guarantee the availability of any specific features in your country of residence. To verify the availability of any features within your country of residence, please contact the broker directly.
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